Notes: Right out of the gate with Shmex! And, if you remember how the last chapter ended, you can guess who!
AFC - Alliance for Change (Thessian/Source: CDN, including Huntress Sikara Mendaras and Matriarch Galalina Niaso)
Amantia - lover (Thessian)
Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)
Le'wĕth - the soft ridges extending from beneath the rear of the scalp, merging into the back of the neck (Source: CDN)
Maglev – Magnetic Levitation transportation
Nara - literally "bearer"; one who shoulders another's burden, aids others (Thessian/Source: CDN)
Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/Source: CDN)
Ripples of Change
The Záhrada S'Vatyne Resort, Sanves, Ialessa System – 22 Aug 2188
Carlina's lips curled into a smile against Livos' neck; the guide's voice was soft and quietly soothing as she breathed, "I do not mean to frighten you, Livos; that is the farthest thing from my mind. My intentions are quite the contrary."
The Asari's breath was warm on her neck, in contrast to the growing chill of the night, and Livos attempted to relax into the embrace, only to find it difficult to simply… let go. "I do not know how to do this. I have always been independent… and such a relationship would be extremely unfair to you…" Her words trickled off into silence as a pair of strong hands gently slid up her sides, and then moved to tenderly massage the knots in her shoulders.
"What is fair to me is for me to decide… and we have more than a week yet, do we not?" With only an appreciative groan from Livos in answer, she continued, "We have more than half our lives stretching out before us and, with the way you make me feel simply by being at my side, I will happily enjoy whatever you are willing to offer me during that time."
"I will admit the temptation is great, Zan." Livos groaned again as a strong thumb dug into a particularly tight knot. "Goddess, that feels good. But, at the end of my time here, we need to have defined where we stand with one another. I will not be able to focus on my duties properly if my personal life is in turmoil."
"Then I will get on with it… and remove these doubts you have." Zan feathered a soft kiss across the back of Livos' neck that sent a pleasant shiver down the commando's spine. "I will begin by telling you a bit about myself… and get my unpleasant beginnings out of the way. My family is rather… unique, but I'd rather not talk about the family business nor the credits they earn by running it. I hope it is sufficient for me to tell you they reside on Illium. Once I graduated from Nos Astra University, I never returned again… my conscience would not allow me to do so."
Livos stiffened at the words and Carlina was immediately concerned. "How did you connect my surname and Illium so quickly? Have I just destroyed any chance of us ever being together, simply by mentioning my criminal family?" She used her hands on Livos' shoulders to gently turn the commando about so she could meet her eyes. "I swear to you… I have had nothing to do with them in nearly 400 years! So please, do not judge me by their actions."
"I have to admit, it is definitely cause for concern to me." Livos frowned, feeling as though the flame which had just started to flicker to life in her heart had been so quickly doused – before it ever had a chance to truly shine. "It could place House T'Soni in a vulnerable position, should a connection with a family such as that be discovered. I… cannot do this." She went to take a step back; V'Zanto, refusing to release the grip on her shoulders, stepped with her.
"It will only be a detriment if we attempt to hide it, Livos!" Zan's happy expression crumbled away with the emotional blow, her hope fading with Livos' seemingly resolute words. "Bribery and extortion can only exploit secrets that people do not wish to have revealed. My family would be unable to gain any traction if I reveal everything to you… and Lady Liara." She paused, finally releasing her hold on the commando's shoulders and allowing her arms to hang at her sides. Her lips became a tight line as she gained resolve. "So that is what I will do; I will not let the beginning of my life – a beginning over which I had no control and which I refuse to own – come between us, Livos. Please… know that as soon as I was old enough, I took the necessary steps to escape that life; I will open myself to any and all scrutiny… by Lady Liara, by Spectre Shepard… by a damned Justicar if it is required of me! Just… please, Captain. Do not shut me out of your life without giving me a chance to prove myself to you." Zan's silver eyes had clouded as she pleaded with the commando. "There is nothing in my past… absolutely nothing… for which I am ashamed!"
Livos stared at Zan in surprise; the vehemence, the passion, with which she defended herself… and the potential relationship she could not yet define, much less be sure it would even last longer than the week… plucked at Livos' heart strings, and she immediately realized she could not turn her back on this Asari, even though her analytical mind was telling her she should. "Nothing about love is ever rational, is it?"
Confused, Zan blinked several times, her defensive tirade grinding to a halt at Livos' outwardly random statement… one that appeared to challenge the truthfulness of her words. "What are you talking about? I hold no love for anyone in my family. The first few years after I left, my mother tried every low-down, manipulative scheme she could imagine to get me back in her clutches." The moisture that had begun tarnishing Zan's lustrous silver eyes increased to the point of overflowing, sliding in tiny rivulets down amethyst cheeks; she wiped them away with angry swipes of her hands as she backed away and plopped down into the chair she had previously occupied.
Stunned by the unexpected turn of events, Livos momentarily froze as Zan gasped, voice choked with emotion. "She is the primary reason I could never have a serious relationship. The one time I thought 'just maybe,' my mother twisted it back on me for leverage… by kidnapping my amantia. I eventually persuaded my family to release her… after convincing them I would go to the authorities and reveal all their darkest secrets." She sighed sadly, remembering the pain her mother had caused her. "In the end, my resolve meant nothing; Leona spat in my face and refused to have anything more to do with me. Not that I blame her. Our… connection… was forever broken and I never saw her again."
V'Zanto stared at the ground in stony silence as the unwelcome memory caused a phantom hand to reach into her chest. As it began to squeeze any hope from her heart of having even a fleeting romance in her life, she huffed in resignation. "I was young and inexperienced then… and, even though nearly 400 years have passed since that time, perhaps I am still as naïve as when I was a young maiden… particularly when it comes to love… if your reaction is anything to judge by."
Livos moved quickly to Zan's chair and went down on her right knee before her, reaching out and taking her hands. "That is not what I meant, Zan; I apologize for my phrasing being so unclear. Even though every logical thought in my mind is telling me to run away from this, my irrational heart says that I must stay. I cannot lie to myself about you… there is definitely an attraction between us… even if it does require us to go against convention and defy all logic if we wish to have any hope for a longer term connection. That is why I said there is nothing rational about love."
Livos waited as hooded eyes, still shimmering with remnants of the tears her words had caused, guardedly came up to meet her gaze – only then did she continue. "I am saying yes, Zan. I want to give a relationship between us a try…" Livos suddenly smirked as she saw the light of hope brighten the silver eyes into which she gazed. "… and I would absolutely love to see your mother make an attempt at taking either one of us from the protective custody of Lady T'Soni and Spectre Shepard."
Zan closed her eyes for a moment as she drew a deep, calming breath, feeling the vise that had clamped onto her heart slowly loosen and fade away. "Thank the Goddess," she whispered as her eyes opened again to see Livos still down on one knee before her. She slid from the chair, mimicking the pose, with her left knee offset just enough to slide past Livos' hip, so their torsos could touch. Cupping the face before her, Zan placed what started as a chaste kiss upon lush, welcoming lips.
Livos felt her body shudder with the contact and she whispered in surprise, "It has been a long time since anyone has kissed me so…" Her heart raced and she found it hard to catch her breath as the organ seemed to flutter out of control in her chest. "My heart feels as though it will burst from my chest… may the Goddess help me!"
"No one can save you now, Livos Tanni." Zan grinned and pushed Livos to the side, laying her down in the grassy soil beside the fire and enveloping her in a full-body caress. Her lips wandered across Livos' chin and down to an unprotected neck, the Asari beneath her gasping as teeth closed on sensitive folds and hands pulled upwards to untuck Livos' shirt. A purple hand slipped beneath the cloth to tenderly stroke across the blue skin of her now exposed lower back.
Had she desired to do so, she was completely unable to stop her body's reaction; Livos arched off the ground to give the wandering hand room to operate, even as she silently probed her own mind. You have gone absolutely insane, Tanni! What if someone sees us out here?
As she questioned her response to V'Zanto's advances, her hands found leverage and she flipped them both over, dislodging the teeth from her neck as she sat up. She still arched wantonly into the loving fingers gently working their way into the sensitive folds of her lower back, the stimulating touch inducing a moan of pleasure from between her lips and blotting out any further resistance. This may be crazy, but I don't care… I want… No! I need this!
She leaned down over Zan and claimed her mouth in a deep, sensual kiss, before nibbling on the guide's bottom lip, gently gripping it with her own lips before pulling away, only to move to her partner's neck. Placing hot fingertips on the side of Zan's jaw, she gently turned the Asari's head to the side for better access, before running the velvet warmth of her tongue through the exposed crevices of her lover's le'wĕth.
Being so close to the fire, Zan was sweating, yet her body shivered with an excited chill as the commando captain's skillful tongue continued to tease the tender folds of her neck. The tang of eezo settled onto Livos' taste buds and, with the sexually provocative contact now proceeding in both directions, Zan breathlessly groaned, "By the Goddess… Livos! For not knowing how to do this, you seem extremely proficient at it! Will you meld with me… please?"
Zan had not ceased her own ministrations and the guard captain felt another quiver of intense pleasure shake her to her core. Zan has undeniably skilled fingers! Eager to fulfill the request, Livos replied quickly, her eyes swiftly turning obsidian as she whispered in a barely audible voice, "Embrace eternity!"
Abandoned Mine, Undisclosed Location, Milky Way – 22 Aug 2188
Jorè Lentos stood over the lifeless body of tried and convicted former Security Chief Lenes Arim. Looking at the face, remaining twisted in anger even in death, the Colonial Administrator growled, "Damn your ancestors, Lenes! Why could you not have been more patient… or more understanding?"
Lenes Arim's little rebellion had cost them dearly; of his twenty soldiers, fifteen had participated in the attempted military coup, along with twenty civilians. Now, of the 200 souls that had survived – despite the best efforts of the Reapers to completely eradicate them from the galaxy – forty were now dead, casualties of Arim's ill-considered attempt to usurp Lentos' leadership. Given their critically low population level, it was a blow from which they might not recover.
Lentos slowly lowered the heavy pistol he had used to execute the traitor and sighed; looking over the assembled crowd, he intoned, "This is a sad day… when one of our own contributes toward our extinction by leading a revolt, when our numbers are already too few. Compliments of the races above us, we somehow survived the harvest… and if the rumors are true, such evil will never be revisited upon the inhabitants of the Milky Way. Thus, we survived only for the remnants of our civilization to be placed in dire jeopardy by one of our own!" His eyes closed for a brief moment before he stated, "Let this be a lesson. We must all work toward our survival, together, or we will all fail… at which point it could be very possible that our entire race would forever cease to exist."
Lead scientist Arick Vythan stepped forward to break the somber mood, declaring, "There is some good news – we have finally established the viability of the stored genetic cache… by successfully birthing our first recombinant-DNA child!"
A collective shout of approval sounded from the crowd and he smiled. "Yes, I know. It gives us hope of restoring sufficient genetic diversity within our population for us to endure. Assuming the child thrives and matures to adulthood, we will no longer need to fear genome degeneration… the Prothean peoples will survive!"
As the crowd quieted, Aelia Dethan stepped forward. "We must accept our new reality. As first female, the idea of… creating… children in this way is utterly appalling to me; yet, I recognize the necessity. Arim was unable to see this. He was also unable to accept that the primitives, as he insisted upon referring to them, accomplished the total defeat of the Reapers. The reality is that they managed this in a war lasting less than a decade… something we were unable to accomplish over the span of three centuries… it is time for us to recognize that we are no longer the galaxy's master race – to them, we may very well be the primitives."
Jorè nodded understandingly as the crowd started to grumble. "As Aelia stated, whether we like it or not, this new reality must be embraced by all of us. To that end, we must also accept that our carefully hoarded supplies are dwindling. This planet offers us nothing more than what was stored here in the hidden vaults, and I consider us fortunate to even have that stockpile after all this time. We have been here for less than forty years and have consumed nearly half our supplies. That gives us less than forty more – assuming we grow our population as necessary to survive as a race – to come up with a solution, or a plan – either to attempt a relocation, in secret, or to simply… reveal ourselves… to the new masters of the galaxy."
"As such, we have two primary tasks ahead of us. First, we cannot remain hidden indefinitely, so we must come together and decide the timing and conditions of our emergence." Aelia gave a nod toward Arick as she continued, "And second, while we consider our options, we must reproduce using the genetic cache, so our numbers are more stable and our genome can become more diverse. We have no idea how long the stored genetic material will remain viable, so we must all participate… and quickly… females by donating eggs for fertilization, and males by ensuring no one like Lenes, or any outsider, ever threatens our survival again."
Lentos stood silently for a few moments as his eyes swept across the small crowd. Squaring his shoulders, he stated, "A couple more things." Pointing at a soldier in the front row, he called the soldier's name. "Ruso Lukens. As the ranking officer of the remaining military members, you have just been promoted to be our new Chief of Security. Congratulations! Please come see me when we are done here. For the rest of you, please return to your appointed tasks, and remain vigilant… ever watchful. The fate of the entire Prothean race may rest on our shoulders; we must not fail."
The Záhrada S'Vatyne Resort, Sanves, Ialessa System – 22 Aug 2188
"Captain Tanni. A word, please?" The day in the woods had been incredibly fun, but Liara was slightly concerned; it seemed as if the commander of her Personal Guard was somewhat out of sorts – she was either ill or had something particularly bothersome on her mind. Livos was nowhere near her normal attentive and observant self and Liara felt the need to understand why.
They had spent the day hiking; first to a secluded grotto with a plethora of birds, small animals and beautiful flowers… a secluded, quiet place of reflection where they had all stripped and dived into the crystal-clear waters of a hot spring-fed pool to refresh themselves after the long trek. V'Zanto had been extremely knowledgeable about the grotto's flora and fauna, and happily answered questions about both subjects, between bites of her lunch. The guide seemed much more at ease outside of the confines of the resort complex than she had appeared the day before, when they were still contained within. Likely because they had to explain the rules for our excursions, so it was all business. This is probably as much fun for her as it is for us… getting out and about to share these beautiful vistas with guests must feel like its own reward.
Next, they had climbed from the cave to an upper mesa, there to rendezvous with a transport, which had then carried them to an entirely different sector of the resort. When they were once more on the ground, they had traversed some rather difficult, rocky terrain, with both V'Zanto and Dukette on full alert. Duke had even pulled and readied his weapon at one point while whispering, "Be quiet and be on guard here. It is a beautiful day and we are passing within the hunting range of a medvuda den. It is already beginning to get cold at night up here in the mountains, so they are trying to bulk up before their winter hibernation… They will happily kill and eat anything they can find and overpower… and I sincerely don't want it to be any of us." He then grinned and added, "It makes for an awful lot of reports that must be filled out and filed once I return to the office!"
Curious as to why their guides would take them through such a dangerous area, but not wanting to disturb their focus while they did so, Liara waited until they had cleared the zone and Duke had noticeably relaxed before she posed the question about their chosen route. "Ahhh… Patience is a virtue and you'll know soon enough, Lady Liara." He flared his mandibles with a chuckle at the expression on her face and added, "The area through which we are traveling is a biologically sensitive region that cannot sustain powered traffic… so, if we want you to have the privilege of seeing what lies ahead, we are forced to resort to foot travel. Our destination is just over this next crest."
Once they made their way to the top of the hill, the view was absolutely stunning; Liara believed the whole of the resort to be visible at their feet… the entire 400 square kilometers. Vaituloto Lake dominated the center, while several smaller lakes were scattered throughout. Liara glanced at Duke and grinned. "Goddess, you are correct! This is most definitely worth the hike up here; it's undeniably gorgeous!"
Samantha had slipped up behind her and placed a chin on Liara's right shoulder while wrapping her arms around her Ionúin Álainn's waist. "Almost as beautiful as you, Liara… but you still win, hands down."
"Oh… stop it!" Liara blushed furiously as Duke chuckled at the mischievous expression on the Captain's face. "I could be up to my knees in a swamp with mud all over me and you'd say the same thing! You are a terrible flirt, Siame!"
It was then that Liara first noticed Livos standing off to the side by herself, staring off to the horizon and looking rather… distracted – as if contemplating some troublesome issue – an expression very much unfitting, both for Livos and for the beauty surrounding them. Liara's eyes narrowed in concentration when Shepard answered her unvoiced question through the link. {I've noticed that too, Li. She's been unusually quiet most of the day. Something's up, but I have no idea what. I have to wonder if Riana got news from the Brokerage… or Garrus… and they are trying to decide whether or not to tell us about it.}
Liara gave Sam's arms a squeeze and forced a smile onto her face. {Well. Here is certainly not the place to be asking those questions. We'll have to wait until we get back to the complex to ask what is bothering her.}
And now, here they were with a seemingly reticent Captain Tanni approaching them, a somber expression on her face. "Lady Liara. Captain. Is there something amiss?" Livos' eyes narrowed in thought as she tried to decipher what could have happened that required her attention… and angry at herself for possibly missing something while her mind wandered amidst a distraction by the name of Carlina V'Zanto.
"No, there is nothing for you to be concerned about… at least regarding Shepard and me." A concerned Liara reached over and gently laid a hand on the captain's arm. "Livos, is everything okay? You seem very much… out of sorts… enough so that both of us have noticed."
"I apologize, Mistress, though I am unsure as to what I have done to cause concern." Surprised, Livos quickly looked back and forth between the pair. "Though, I will admit to being rather tired today." Her eyes flicked nervously as she continued, "I… stayed up rather late last night."
Shepard began to smile and struggled to contain it to no avail. Liara easily picked up on her thoughts as she recalled them going in for bed the night before… and leaving Livos and their guide along at the fire pit. Liara's eyes opened wide and she had to keep herself from shouting… instead, quietly asking in astonishment, "Did you spend the entire night out by the fire with Carlina V'Zanto?"
Responding without thinking, Livos confirmed their suspicions by asking, "How in the galaxy could you possibly know that?"
Shepard grinned and looked at Liara, reaching over and taking her hand as she answered for them both. "It was nothing more than a good guess, Livos. You were the last two at the pit when we retired last night; I just put one and one together… There's nothing about that to be embarrassed about or ashamed of; she seems like a very nice person."
Knowing there had to be more to it, based on Livos' mood, Liara couldn't let it rest. "But you are too pensive, Livos, and the two of you have hardly spoken today. Did she do something untoward or unfitting as a resort…"
"Absolutely not! She was simply busy today and I did not want to interrupt her work." Livos cut Liara off without preamble and then shook her head, a tentative smile creeping onto her lips. "Though… seeing as you have noticed my distraction, I do have something to tell you."
Shepard looked at Liara, who simply said, "Certainly. I hope you realize you can tell us anything."
Livos shifted nervously before confessing, "I have discovered something about our guide. We were up very late, talking and doing… other things. She told me about her family… on Illium." She watched as Liara's eyes lit with recognition; during her time on Illium as an Information Broker, Liara had eventually learned the names of all the major crime families.
"By the Goddess! She is part of that V'Zanto family?" she asked incredulously. Via the link, Liara quickly filled Shepard in on their criminal activities, ranging from petty theft to the slave trade, money laundering and drugs such as Minagen X3 – often confused with Red Sand because of both its color and biotics-enhancing effects, and a drug Shepard was well acquainted with, thanks to Illium, the Eclipse and a certain Volus drug dealer by the name of Pitne For.
"We are mutually attracted to one another, but I dare not risk our House standing." Livos' shoulders slumped. "So, now you understand my dilemma. My heart wants to believe her story, that she left home as soon as she graduated university and could support herself… but my mind tells me I must check her story, to protect the House."
Shepard nodded knowingly. "So, your heart and head are in conflict, each calling the other a traitor for not believing the other."
"It is not a matter of belief, Nara. It is a matter of duty." Livos made direct eye contact with Liara for the first time. "If simply having the name associated with our house brings shame upon it, I cannot follow my heart, no matter how much I may desire it."
"Have faith, Livos." Liara smiled reassuringly. "I cannot believe a resort such as the Záhrada S'Vatyne has not completed extensive background checks. I shall ask Riana to check into it for me. We'll put the query out and we will deal with the results when we get them." Liara's smile faded as she continued, "Does Zan know I was an information broker on Illium?"
"I do not think so." Livos shook her head. "It certainly did not come up last night… and I do not know how I can possibly broach the topic."
"You don't have to." Shepard dropped Liara's hand and stepped forward. "As Captain of House T'Soni, that's my job. I will go with you and speak to her about it, but I will also remind you of one thing before we do so."
Livos looked at her expectantly, her eyes darting and laced with concern. Shepard smiled at the commando. "Relax, Liv. I simply want to remind you that I gave Maya Brooks, of all people, a second chance. If I believe that woman is redeemable, you have absolutely nothing to worry about, as long as Zan is telling the truth."
Livos breathed an audible sigh as the features of her face transformed into an expression of relief. "Thank you, Nara. Actually, I had completely forgotten about that… and recalling that event now brings me more comfort than you could possibly know."
Serrice, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 22 Aug 2188
"The true revolution begins today!" Huntress Sikara Mendaras shouted above the crowd, gathering the attention of those closest to her and causing them to begin shushing the rest. As a cascade of silence swept through those gathered, Mendaras continued, "It has been over a year, and still there is no change of leadership… no reform! The matriarchs in power… those who purposely concealed Prothean technology that could have ended the war sooner… remain in their positions and believe that we shall all be silenced… first by extending martial law, and now with the appointment of a new Minister of Justice, who has been specifically tasked with silencing our movement!"
The crowd murmured in disapproval as more and more passersby stopped and joined their numbers in order to listen in. Someone in the crowd shouted, "So, near the end of the war, many of our sisters died for no reason? If the war had ended even a day sooner, thousands would have been saved!"
"Exactly!" Mendaras nodded. "But, as we speak, those same matriarchs are gathering their forces, securing their positions… They will not police themselves, yet the Galactic Council does nothing! They are too busy yet with war recovery efforts throughout the galaxy to worry themselves over the internal politics of a single world."
"But what about Tevos?" Another unidentified voice erupted from the mass of bodies. "Have you specifically asked her to bring it before them?"
"Of course we have." Mendaras shook her head and continued, "As the leader of the Alliance for Change, I sent a request to her… and she did bring it before the Council… but the response she passed on to us was anything but promising. As one of the original three races, the Council is extremely hesitant to deliver charges against our homeworld. They emphasized that our elections are coming up in January… and say that if it is truly how the people of Thessia feel, we will correct our own course when the opportunity arises." She paused before adding, "So, it seems, any actions we deem necessary are up to us and us alone!"
"But there are Council sanctions that should have been imposed once the hiding of such technology was discovered! It is a matter of law!"
Again, Mendaras nodded. "I realize that… but so do the councilors of the other races. I believe each and every race has technology they are hiding… and are afraid our matriarchs will turn the tables on them by accusing them of the same. We already know for certain the Humans hold Prothean technology and have dabbled in AI… but there have been no sanctions against them, either. And, there is obviously no question the Quarians are also guilty of such things yet, not only did they not get sanctioned, they gained a seat on the Council at the end of the war!"
"So, what are we supposed to do? It sounds as if our options are limited, without support from the Council… it seems we have no choice other than to wait for the annual elections."
"Apparently, any who contributed to the war effort have been forgiven their previous crimes." Mendaras' head turned toward the newest voice. "So, I propose we simply continue along that line. I believe we can safely assume every race has played the same intelligence game, looking for some sort of advantage over each of the others, and each has information they do not wish to share… As such, we all must forgive one another for the hidden ownership of such technology."
As the crowd angrily grumbled at her, Mendaras shouted above the din. "Do not read into my words things I do not mean – I am not yet finished! I said to forgive ownership… I said nothing about forgiving them for not sharing that critical information during a time of dire need! In that regard, I believe our eight Defense Ministers knew what they were doing was wrong… and illegal, but still they attempted to save themselves… no, attempted to save their influence and positions… and, by so doing, committed murders in the tens of thousands! An unfathomable quantity of Asari blood… galactic blood… stains their collective hands for every single day they delayed after Spectre Shepard's request for information was distributed!"
In the offices of the new Serrice Minister of Justice, Matriarch Galalina Niaso stared at her monitor and growled. "That is just about enough of that nonsense." Raising her omnitool, she keyed in the contact data and spoke abruptly. "End it. Now."
"On what charge, Minister?"
"Ha!" Galalina curled her lip in distaste. "Take your pick. Congregating without a permit? Unproven accusations and slander against the Defense Ministers? Conspiring to foment rebellion? I don't care. Just break it up and send them on their way." She paused as another thought occurred to her. "And any who won't leave peacefully? Arrest them… by whatever means necessary."
The newest captain of the rebuilt Serrice Guard hesitated a long moment and then asked, "Are you sure that is what you want us to do, Matriarch?"
"Do not question me, Captain… I was appointed to this position by the Defense Council to clean up this mess before it gained purchase and I damned well intend to do my job. You will do yours as well or you will find yourself among those arrested… and your second will take your place. Is that understood?"
Captain Lydia D'Naga glanced to her right, where her newly appointed second-in-command –Lieutenant Alestia Niaso… and not by the captain's choice – was standing by for orders. Goddess be damned. If I do not follow her orders, her fucking daughter will likely shoot first, ask questions later… and, I do believe, I am not destined to survive such an encounter. I need to be smart about this. Keying her comm unit, she replied, "Understood, Matriarch."
She put a neutral expression on her face and turned to her squad officers, relaying the orders. As a couple of them went to protest, she hardened her eyes and glared at them. "Don't. Not here, not now. If you have issues with any of this, do the job, but bring your objections to me… later. Privately." She immediately looked pointedly at the younger Asari at her side as she stated, "Lieutenant Niaso is now in charge of this particular operation. Get to it."
Having gone with the Lieutenant in a failed attempt to keep the operation from getting out of hand, it was two hours later when the captain snapped to attention within the office of the Minister of Justice. Even with three members of the Serrice Guard in the hospital, along with fifteen civilians… and an additional three lying on slabs in the morgue, Matriarch Galalina was unexplainably pleased. "Excellent job, Captain. You did precisely what needed to be done."
D'Naga gaped at her in astonishment. "Three innocent citizens are dead, Matriarch! How can you consider those results a success?"
Galalina narrowed her eyes at the captain and answered in a quiet voice, balancing on a fine edge between tolerance and accusation. "Because the mob was dispersed… and those three dead Asari will very likely dissuade that rabble from gathering again in such a manner." She walked up to Lydia until their noses almost touched. "Your only shortcoming was in failing to capture Huntress Mendaras. How, exactly, did she manage to elude you?"
Against her own better judgement, the captain responded contemptuously, "I don't know, Matriarch. You will have to ask Lieutenant Niaso; she ran the tactical portion of the operation."
The matriarch's eyes flashed with unconcealed anger, but she somehow maintained her self-control and kept herself from performing any rash action. Even so, after a couple of deep, calming breaths, she was still only able to manage a seething reply. "Do not test my resolve, Captain D'Naga, or you will most certainly regret ever accepting the position of Captain of the Guard. As such, it is your sworn duty… not the Lieutenant's… to execute my orders. You do that again and I will throw your ass in prison faster than you can blink… for dereliction of duty and disobeying a direct order." She spun away and strode angrily to her desk, never turning around as she furiously thundered, "Now, get the fuck out of my office before I have someone throw you out."